Price rises

The day after Qatar public servants got a major pay rise (40% for Qatar nationals, 20% for other nationalities), food prices seemed to double. I was shocked in Mega mart to see most imported veg was around 18 riyals/kilo ($5) mark. Even normally cheap "local" vegetables were expensive. The small, pale courgettes that are normally as cheap as chips had shot up from 3 riyals (80 cents) to 6 riyals ($1.60). The increase was repeated in other shops such as Carrefour, and small local shops were even worse.

So it was no surprise to see the Peninsula screaming "Consumers are ditching Qatar". It seems that it is now cheaper to leave the country and do your grocery shopping abroad.

It is usual for prices to increase around the time of major festivals (it's now Eid Al-Adha), and I have also heard rumours that there are temporary shortages of some foods. Hopefully, then, this is a temporary increase in prices, because a lot of people are counting on a fall in prices after the end of the Asian Games.

Also see:

Cost of Living: Renting property in Doha

Qatar Resident's Guide

Qatar Visitor Bookstore

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